The script

The script was written by Michael Arndt and was originally about an East Coast road trip film from Maryland to Florida, but was shifted to a journey from New Mexico to California due to budget issues.[10] Arndt started the script on May 23, 2000 and completed the first rough draft by May 26.[11] He had initially planned on shooting the film himself by raising several thousand dollars and using a camcorder.[12] Instead, he gave the screenplay to producers Ron Yerxa and Albert Berger who teamed up with Deep River Productions to find a potential director.[13]The producers met directors Dayton and Faris while producing Election and in turn gave the script to them to read in 2001. The directors commented later on the script stating: "This film really struck a chord. We felt like it was written for us."[8] The script was purchased from first-time screenwriter Arndt for $250,000 by Marc Turtletaub, one of the film's producers, on December 21, 2001.[14] Yerxa and Berger remained as producers as they were responsible for finding the directors and cinematographer, assisting in the ending re-shoot, and helping bring the film to the Sundance Film Festival.[6][15]